Difference between revisions of "Electronic warfare"

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[[Category:Guides]]
 
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= Electronic Warfare 101 =
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Electronic warfare is the ability to decrease the enemies effectiveness in battle using electronics based modules.
 
Electronic warfare is the ability to decrease the enemies effectiveness in battle using electronics based modules.
  

Revision as of 15:07, 16 September 2009


Electronic Warfare 101

Electronic warfare is the ability to decrease the enemies effectiveness in battle using electronics based modules.

There basically are 4 types of electronic warfare

  • Electronic Counter Measures (ECM)
  • Tracking Disruption (TD)
  • Remote Sensor Dampening (Damps)
  • Target Painting (TP)


Electronic Counter Measures (ECM)

ECM is used to make the target (the 'jammed ship') lose all its current target locks. The jammed ship cannot target anyone for the duration of the cycle (20 seconds), and will have to re-acquire its targets afterwards.

ECM success is chance based and all-or-nothing. For example: if your module has an adjusted strength of 4 and the ship you are trying to jam has a sensor strength of 20, then your chance of success (20%) is lower than if you target a ship with a sensor strength of 12 (33%). If the module succeeds in jamming, the full effect will always be produced. If it fails, you have to wait 20 seconds before you can try again with that module. Note that you always have some chance of success.

The Caldari race has ships that get bonuses for using ECM modules. The tech 1 ships that have bonuses for ECM are: Griffin, Blackbird and Scorpion.

Note: Due to the low base strength of even the most powerful modules, these bonuses are, in practice, necessary to get any useful effect from ECM. In other words, if you're fitting ECM on a ship without ECM bonuses, you're probably making a horrible mistake.

There are 5 types of ECM modules: 4 racial jammers and a multispectral module. The racial jammers each have an increased sensor strength against 1 specific race (i.e., Caldari). The multispectral jammer has an equal (lower than the racial) strength against all races.

The 5 types are:

  • Gravimetric (Caldari, Blue). Basic Tech 1 module: ECM - Spatial Destabilizer I
  • Magnetometric (Gallente, Green). Basic Tech 1 module: ECM - Ion Field Projector I
  • Radar (Amarr, Yellow). Basic Tech 1 module: ECM - White Noise Generator I
  • Ladar (Minmatar, Red). Basic Tech 1 module: ECM - Phase Inverter I
  • Multi Spectrum (Non-race). Basic Tech 1 module: ECM - Multispectral Jammer I


ECM - Ranges and falloffs
Item Optimal Range Falloff Racial jam strength Non-racial jam strength
Tech 1 Racial 26km 29km 3 1
Tech 2 Racial 32km 35km 3.6 1.2
Tech 1 Multispectrum 17km 19km 2 2
Tech 2 Multispectrum 21km 23km 2.4 2.4

Required Skills:

  • Electronics I
  • Tech 1: Electronic Warfare I
  • Tech 2: Electronic Warfare IV

Note: Using multispectrum jammers is a waste. They have way less range, use more capacitor and have less jam strength in general. If there is some time and you know the race you are going to go up against, refit the jammers towards that race. If you're not sure, fit a mix of all racial types.


ECM Burst

The ECM burst module will try to jam everything in a certain radius. Just as the multi spectrum jammer, it has the same jamming strength for each race. The biggest downside of this module is that you hit everything. Enemies, friendlies, neutrals. If you hit a neutral using this module while being in high security space (0.5 - 1.0) you will lose your ship to CONCORD. This includes gates, stations, gate guns, etc. The other 'counterpart' of the ECM burst is that it only breaks the lock. People will be able to directly lock you again afterwards.

ECM Burst - Optimal ranges and falloffs
Item Optimal Range Falloff Jam Strength
Tech 1 5km 5km 6
Tech 2 6km 6km 7.2

Required skills:

  • Electronics I
  • Tech 1: Electronic Warfare I
  • Tech 2: Electronic Warfare IV

General rule 1: DO NOT USE IT ... unless you know how to work with it

General Rule 2: DO NOT USE IT IN HIGHSEC. Scratch a neutral object and you will die.

Signal Distortion Amplifier

The signal distortion amplifier will increase the jam strength and ECM range bonus of your ECM modules with a percentage. Using these will give you a greater chance to jam the target's ship. These are passive modules, so you don't have to click them to activate them.

Signal Distortion Amplifier
Item Scan Strength Increase Range Increase
Tech 1 5% 5%
Tech 2 10% 10%

Required skills:

  • Electronics I
  • Tech 1: Electronic Warfare III
  • Tech 2: Electronic Warfare IV

Tracking Disruption (TD)

Tracking disruption is used to decrease the optimal range and falloff and/or the tracking speed of gunnery weapon systems. The gunnery weapons systems are: Laser, Hybrid and Projectile. Decreasing the optimal range of a weapon makes it less effective at longer range and it won't be able to hit targets at great range that it could hit perfectly before. Decreasing tracking speed(turning speed of the weapons) makes it harder for the weapons to follow a moving target and hit it properly. Additionally, you can use scripts for the tracking disruptors to focus on either decreasing targeting range and falloff or decreasing the tracking speed.

The Amarr race has ships that get bonuses for using tracking disruptors. The tech 1 ships that get bonuses for tracking disruption are: Crucifier and Arbitrator.

Tracking Disruptor (TD) - Optimal ranges and falloffs
Item Optimal Range Falloff Optimal Range Modifier Falloff Modifier Tracking Speed Modifier
Tech 1 (No script) 40km 20km -17.9% -17.9% -17.9%
Tech 1 (Optimal range script) 40km 20km -35.8% -35.8% -0%
Tech 1 (Tracking script) 40km 20km -0% -0% -35.8%
Tech 2 (No script) 48km 24km -20.1% -20.1% -20.1%
Tech 2 (Optimal range script)  48km 24km -40.2% -40.2% -0%
Tech 2 TD (Tracking script) 48km 24km -0% -0% -40.2%

Required skills:

  • Electronics III
  • Tech 1: Weapon disruption I
  • Tech 2: Weapon disruption II

Note: Tracking disruption modules don't work against missiles, and so aren't generally useful against missile ships (e.g., the Raven).

Remote Sensor Dampening (Damp)

Sensor dampening is the counterpart of sensor boosting. The remote sensor dampener can be used to decrease the targeting range and/or the targeting speed (measured in scan resolution) of your targets ship. With this decrease the target can either lock a smaller range and/or lock slower due to the locking time decrease. Additional you can use scripts for the remote sensor dampener to focus on either increasing targeting range or the targeting speed penalty. With the specific script loaded the other penalty is taken away.

The Gallente race has ships that get bonuses for using remote sensor dampeners The tech 1 ships that get bonuses for remote sensor dampening are: Maulus and Celestis.


Remote Sensor Dampener
Item Optimal Range Falloff Targeting Range Modifier Scan Range Modifier
Tech 1 No script 25km 50km -15.2% -15.2%
Tech 1 Scan resolution script 30km 60km -0% 30.4%
Tech 1 Targeting range script 30km 60km -30.4% -0%
Tech 2 No script 30km 60km -17% -17%
Tech 2 Scan resolution script 30km 60km -0% -34%
Tech 2 Targeting range script 30km 60km -34% -0%

Skill requirements:

  • Electronics III
  • Tech 1: Sensor Linking I
  • Tech 2: sensor Linking IV

Target Painting (TP)

Target painting is used to increase the target's signature radius to increase the effectiveness of weapons against the target. This module mainly comes in handy if you need a large ship to hit a smaller ship. Normally, for example, a battleship has a hard time hitting a frigate or only does minimal damage. Using the target painter on the frigate will makes it much easier for the battleship to hit the frigate. Note that the target painter will help everyone shooting at that target, not just the painting ship.

The Minmatar race has ships that get bonuses for using target painters. The tech 1 ships that get bonuses for using target painters are: Vigil and Bellicose.


Target Painter
Item Optimal Range Falloff Target Signature Increase
Tech 1 25km 50km 25%
Tech 2 30km 60km 30%


Required skills:

  • Electronics III
  • Tech 1: Target Painting I
  • Tech 2: Target Painting IV

Additional module(s)

Sensor Booster

The Sensor booster can be used to increase the targeting range and/or the targeting speed (measured in scan resolution) of your ship. With this increase you can either lock the target at a greater range and/or lock him faster due to the locking time decrease. Additional you can use scripts for the sensor booster to focus on either increasing the targeting range bonus or the targeting speed bonus. With the specific script loaded the other bonus is taken away.

Sensor Booster
Item Targeting Range Scan Resolution
Tech 1 No script +25% +25%
Tech 1 Scan resultion script +0% +50%
Tech 1 Targeting range script +50% +0%
Tech 2 No script +30% +30%
Tech 2 Scan resultion script +0% +60%
Tech 2 Targeting range script +60% +0%

Skill Requirements:

  • Electronics II
  • Tech 1: Long Range Targeting I
  • Tech 2: Long Range Targeting IV

How to use EWAR

Now the basics of Electronic warfare use:

If the target is in range:

  • 1. Turn Sensor Booster on (If you have one. If you are in a gatecamp, this should be on already).
  • 2. Lock target.
  • This step depends on the FC's orders and your location.
  • 3a. If your orders are to orbit a gate, keep orbiting. If you get targeted you can jump through. (Unless you activated an Ewar module on someone or want to die a "Hero's" death.)
  • 3b. If you are at your optimal range, align to a planet. If you are targeted you can warp away and warp back in. (Unless you want to die a "Hero's" death.)
  • 4. Turn the Electronic warfare module on the to you designated target. ECM, TD and damps should be spread out on the opponents. TP's should all be on the primary. (the designated targets should match the EW modules you have equipped.... so don't put a TD on a missile boat Wink .... And it might be a good thing to open up a separate chat channel for all the EW people... to keep everything well spread)
  • 5. If the hit on the designated target is successful, put a second electronic warfare module (if you have it) on the another target in the opponents fleet.
  • 6. There is no 6, Let's jam it.
  • 7. If you 'miss' a cycle (this is mainly for ECM) be ready to warp away if you get targeted.


If the target is outside range there are two possibilities:

  • 1a. You messed up. You are in the wrong place.
  • 1b. The target warped to a bookmark where only the longest-range electronic warfare can reach.

Note: Remember, always be either aligned to a celestial (preferably a planet) to warp to or be in range of a gate to jump through.